The first one is Feed, by MT Anderson. It’s a dystopian future for everyone! Where people go to the moon for fun, and people have the Feed implanted at an early age. The Feed is a stream of advertisements that zips past, as well as a shopping channel. Kids go to School, Inc. where they learn how to use the Feed. The Feed is entertainment, it’s news, it’s shopping, and most of all it’s ads.

All the data comes through a chip in the head of the citizenry, there are upcars that take you through the suburbs’ tunnels. Through proper use of the Feed, you could be a successful banker, or a doctor, or whatever you wanted to be. The Feed holds all the information, and, oh yeah, it’s grafted into your limbic system.

This book is about Titus and Violet and their relationship, and the dying world they live in. They meet on the moon, during spring break, and their romance is what you’d expect of teenagers. Violet starts experiencing trouble with her Feed, and that’s where the interest begins.

This book was narrated by David Aaron Baker, who narrated the Odd Thomas books.. Somehow, he brings a different character to the innocent Titus than to the more or less innocent Odd Thomas. Fewer “strange” things happen to Titus, though. Well, relatively. If you don’t count the lesions.

If you’re a scifi fan, and a fan of dystopian futures, you’ll enjoy this book. Once you get over the strange language, that is. “Unit! I’m like meg-hungry.” Five really like, cool things. (Only a little over 5 hours’ long.)

The other book I got this month was “The No Asshole Rule” by Robert I. Sutton, Ph.D. Read by the author. Somehow, I was more than slightly annoyed by the fact that he pronounced “especially” as “exspecially”. That kind of thing drives me nuts. Otherwise, it’s a good explanation of why it takes only one jerk to ruin your workplace, and why companies who enforce their ‘no asshole’ rules succeed.

He also gets into how to deal with assholes in the workplace, and explains some situations that he’s studied, including companies like Costco and the Men’s Wearhouse. I didn’t know that the CEO of Costco makes only about twice what his store managers make. It’s part of what brings him “down to earth” to his employees, as well as the fact that he tours his stores, and talks to his employees.

I think I must’ve chosen shorter books this month subconsciously. Clocking in at almost 3 hours, it was interesting, but I’d have liked better advice than “basically, you need to leave your workplace if you can.” 2 stars.